Awardees

Michigan Postdoctoral Pioneer Program

University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS)


Awardees represent a range of departments and units within the U-M Medical School and their work reflect far-reaching potential in basic science research and beyond. Please join us in congratulating the MP3 recipients:

Awardees 2022

Katie Meze, Chemistry

Dr Meze will be studying the mechanism of discontinuous transcription by the SARS-CoV-2 RNA dependent RNA polymerase.

Mentors:

Nils Walters - Francis S Collins Collegiate Professor of Chemistry, Biophysics and Biological Chemistry, Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Biophysics, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Program Associate, Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and Professor of Biological Chemistry, Medical School
Melanie Ohi - Rowena G Matthews Collegiate Professor in the Life Sciences, Research Professor, Life Sciences Institute and Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, Medical School

katy mentors
Awad

Dominik Awad, Molecular and Integrative Physiology

Dr. Awad will study the role of microbiome-derived metabolites in the pancreatic tumor microenvironment.

Mentors:

Costas Lyssiotis - Maisel Research Professor of Oncology, Associate Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Director Academic Program, Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Medical School
Donnele Daley - Assistant Professor of Surgery, Medical School

Linda and Nataliya
Jason Witek

Jason Witek, Radiology

Dr. Witek will work on the design and development of new opioid PET tracers that are agonist/antagonist pairs, to help further understand the opioid system and its' visualization during various clinical illnesses.

Mentors:

John Traynor - Edward F Domino Research Professor of Pharmacology, Associate Chair, Department of Pharmacology, Professor of Pharmacology, Medical School and Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy
Peter Scott - Associate Professor of Radiology and Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Medical School

Linda and Nataliya
Ashley Calder

Ashley Calder, Internal Medicine

Dr. Calder will explore the mechanisms driving injury and repair within the extrahepatic bile duct

Mentors:

Linda Samuelson - John A Williams Collegiate Professor of Gastrointestinal Physiology, Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Professor of Internal Medicine and Program Director, Center for Cell Plasticity and Organ Design, Medical School
Nataliya Razumilava - Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, Medical School

Linda and Nataliya

Awardees 2021

Amanda Erwin, Cell & Developmental Biology 

Dr. Erwin will explore High resolution in-situ snapshots of SARS-CoV-2 infection of neurons. 

Mentors:

Shyamal Mosalaganti- Research Assistant Professor, Life Sciences Institute and Assistant Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology, Medical School
Sami Barmada- Angela Dobson Welch and Lyndon Welch Research Professor and Associate Professor of Neurology, Medical School

Michael McFadden, Microbiology & Immunology 

Dr. McFadden will explore Spatial coordination of innate immune responses to Candida infection.

Mentors:

Teresa O'Meara- Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School
Mary O'Riordan- Frederick C Neidhardt Collegiate Professor, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and Associate Dean for Graduate and Post-doctoral Studies, Medical School

Helen Rich, Microbiology & Immunology 

Dr. Rich will explore the pathogenesis of secondary bacterial infection during respiratory syncytial virus infection.

Mentors:

Beth Moore- Nancy Walls Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Chair, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and Professor of Internal Medicine, Medical School
Nick Lukacs- Godfrey Dorr Stobbe Professor of Research, Assistant Dean of Research Faculty, Professor of Pathology and Research Professor, Mary H Weiser Food Allergy Center, Medical School

Awardees 2020

David Hanna, Department of Biological Chemistry

Project Title: Dr. Hanna will explore “Sulfide metabolism at the host microbiome interface.”

Mentors:

Ruma Banerjee- Biological Chemistry
Ursula Jakob- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Biological Chemistry, and LS&A

 Samantha Hodges, Department of Pharmacology

Project Title: Dr. Hodges will explore "Mechanisms regulating sodium channel β1 subunit signaling and transcriptional modulation in developmental and epileptic encephalopathies."

Mentors:

Lori Isom- Pharmacology, Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Neurology
Jack Parent- Neurology

Alexander Knights, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Project Title: Dr. Knights will explore "Joint tissue crosstalk in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis."

Mentors:

Tristan Maerz- Orthopaedic Surgery, Biomedical Engineering
Kurt Hankenson- Orthopaedic Surgery
Ormond MacDougald- Physiology, Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Internal Medicine
Jan Stegemann- Biomedical Engineering, Macromolecular Science and Engineering

Awardees 2019

Kyoung Jo, Cell & Developmental Biology 

Dr. Jo will explore systems level understanding of the signaling integration in early human embryogenesis. 

Mentors:

Idse Heemskerk (CDB) & Jason Spence (Internal Medicine)

Zeribe Nwosu, Molecular & Integrative Physiology and Surgery

Dr. Nwosu will explore how macrophage metabolism contributes to chemotherapeutic resistance and pancreatic cancer progression.

Mentors:

Costas Lyssiotis (Molecular & Integrative Physiology) & Marina Pasca di Magliano (Surgery)

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